I need help! I really want to stop eating so many processed foods. We have been consuming WAY too much sodium and processed crap lately. I want to change it... but I don't even know where to begin! I have thought about making the change many times.... but I feel like the options are limited. I mean... if you take out all processed foods, what are you left with?!

I am a picky eater and so are my kids so that makes it a little harder. But DH will eat just about anything. lol. We do like chicken, turkey, lean beef and some fish... so meat is no problem. And we also love fresh fruits and most veggies. I already go whole grain as much as possible and we really try to avoid white bread. But where we get caught up is with the frozen foods, processed meats like sliced lunch meat, cheeses, soups, seasonings that are loaded with sodium, boxed mac n cheese and other "convenience foods." I don't cook anything from scratch. I really don't know how.

So... for the moms that "eat clean" .... how do you do it?! What do you eat? Give me some meal ideas and examples of what a typical day of meals / snacks looks like in YOUR house.

I definitely want to go lower sodium but I also want to go a little more natural. And I would really like to start making things myself instead of buying premade versions or boxed mixes. I've just never really done that and I don't know what I'm doing. lol

Quoting Anonymous:

It seems like you just want to go low sodium. You cam buy things that are already low sodium or salt free or made with sea salt. Just start reading each box you pick up.

as a general rule, avoid anything that comes out of a box, bag or can. there are so many recipes on the internet... i always tell my sister that if she can read, she can cook :) you just have to follow the recipes. here are some great ones!

MAKE Your own mac and cheese! it's so easy:

1 cup whole wheat macaroni

1 cup milk

bring milk and macaroni to a boil (watch the pot - it boils fast!) on med heat

when it boils, turn down heat to low and cover. stir often to prevent from sticking to bottom. always replace cover to retain moisture.

when macaroni has absorbed most of the milk and is soft, sitr in a dollup of mustard, a dash of paprika and a dash of pepper. mix

turn off heat, add in 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. stir. the heat from the pot will melt the cheese. add more cheese if necessary. if it seems a bit dry, ad a bit more milk and continue to stir.

when it finishes cooking, remove from pot immediately and place into a large mixing bowl. add 1tbsp olive oil and juice of 1/2 lemon. continue to stir to cool it down and prevent clumping. set aside and let fully cool

add the rest of the ingredients and mix. i don't have measurements for the ingredients because i add and mix. while i'm doing this, i add until i see an even distribution of ingredients in the bowl.

add the full bottle of the lime juice and continue to stir and taste. if you like it really citrus-y, add the lemon, 1/2 at a time. continue to stir and taste.

serve chilled. this is SO GOOD!

baked chicken legs - tastes like KFC but SO healthy!

8 organic chicken drumsticks

1/4 tsp paprika

3/4 tsp coarse sea salt

dash pepper

1/8tsp red chili pepper (optional -- if you like spicy)

1-1.5tbsp olive oil

preheat oven to 450F

place all legs in a large bowl

add all ingredients. cover with a plate and shake to mix/evenly distribute. or you can throw everyting into a large ziplock back and shake to mix